ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses levels and trends of urbanization in Asia, and the social and economic changes that are intimately bound up with them. Urbanization levels and trends in Asia basically reflect the structure of the economies of Asian countries. The chapter also discusses the extent to which differences in definitions between Asian countries affect the comparability of levels of urbanization recorded. This provides the background for discussing conceptual issues relating to the urban-rural divide. A case study on developing an urban-rural classification for Cambodia provides an illustration of some of the issues involved. The chapter argues that the definition of urban populations in the mega-urban regions that are playing an increasingly prominent role in the urban structures of Asian countries. A transformation of the settlement pattern has been occurring in most Asian countries, reflecting the rapid and substantial social, economic, demographic and structural change taking place.
